Passing of the Pioneers

Seventeen more obituaries of Western District pioneers join the collection this month, and what a group they are. I must say I had to pass a lot over, but it will ensure Passing with the Pioneers will be going to at least January 2014! New papers at Trove has guaranteed that. Obituaries came from the “Portland Guardian“, “Horsham Times” and “Ballarat Courier“.

There are a couple of special ones, those of James HENTY and Rebecca KITTSON and I highly recommend that you read the obituary in full. I actually found Rebecca’s obituary rather moving and after driving through the Bridgewater area recently, I have great respect for her family and others that settled there. To read the full obituary, just click on the pioneer’s name and the obituary will open in a new tab. Some are a little hard to read, but magnifying the page helps.

I have also included a “young” pioneer who has a family link to me. Thank you to Rachael Boatwright for allowing me to include a photo of her family member.

James HENTY – Died January 12, 1882, Richmond, Victoria. I thought trash magazines today told all, but the obituary of the Honourable James HENTY M.L.C. shared every detail of the last 24 hours or so his life. How can I possible give a summary of the life of James HENTY, one of the famous pioneering HENTY clan? Instead, read the obituary, it is great! Sadly I think James’ life may have ended prematurely, if that is possible at 82, due to a collision with a Newfoundland dog the week before.

Hugh MCDONALD – Died January 30, 1899, Portland. This is a timely obituary coming so soon after my Portland trip. While there, I learnt something of the wreck of the steamer “Admella” in 1859 and the Portland life boat crew that went to her aid. Hugh McDONALD was one of the brave men on board the life boat during that daring rescue.

William GARDINER – Died January 17, 1904, Warracknabeal. William GARDINER, another pioneer with an interesting life. He arrived in Victoria in 1849 aboard the barque “Saxon” and spent time in Melbourne, Geelong and the goldfields, before heading to New Zealand. On his return to Australia, he lived in Port Fairy and Hamilton, working as a journalist, before moving to the Wimmera as a correspondent for the “Belfast Gazette”. He like it so much, he decided to select land at Warracknabeal. He also worked as a correspondent for the “Horsham Times” and built houses!

Jean MccCLINTOCK – Died January 19, 1904, Melbourne. While only 40 at the time of her death and not an “old pioneer”, I have included Jean as she was the sister-in-law of Alfred Winslow HARMAN. Jean married William MILLER and they resided at Rupanyup. After some illness, Jean travelled to Melbourne for an operation, but she died as a result.

Joseph JELBART – Died January 17, 1904, Carapook. Joseph worked as the mail contractor between Carapook and Casterton up until his death. Prior to that he had worked as a blacksmith and a wheelwright at Chetwynd, Merino and Natimuk. Interesting coincidence, just as Joseph did, his father and brother both died on a Sunday morning in the same house.

Rachel Forward READ – Died January 15, 1904, Lower Cape Bridgewater. Rachel Forward READ and her husband Richard Charlton HEDDITCH arrived in Adelaide in 1838 and settled at Cape Bridgewater from 1845 after a stint teaching at the Portland Church of England school. They resided at the Lal Lal Homestead. The Victorian Heritage Database listing for Lal Lal includes a letter home by Rachel after their arrival at Cape Bridgewater. Rachel was buried at the Cape Bridgewater cemetery rather than the Hedditch family cemetery at Lal Lal.

Donald McRAE – Died January 12, 1914, Tooan. Donald McRAE was born in Inverness, Scotland in 1842 and travelled with his parents to Portland. In 1865, he moved to Muntham near Hamilton to farm with brother. The pair eventually selected 320 acres of land each at Natimuk. Donald was a member of the Horsham Caledonian Society.

Samuel WALKER – Died January 24, 1914, Ballarat. Samuel WALKER was born in Cheshire, England around 1828 and travelled to Australia in 1852. After his arrival on the goldfields of Ballarat, he set up a soda water factory which proved profitable for him. He then became a partner in Evans and Walkers and worked as an accountant. He was also the registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages at Ballarat from 1872.

Mrs Selina HARRIOTT – Died January, 1917, Wickliffe. Selina HARRIOTT had resided at Wickliffe for almost 60 years. She was twice married. Her first husband was Mr HAGUE and her second, George HARRIOTT.

Phillip ORMSBY – Died January 12, 1918 at Ellerslie. Phillip ORMSBY was born in County Cork and attended the Dublin University as a young man to study medicine. The lure of Australia was too great, and he abandoned his studies to sail to Australia on the “Champion of the Seas” in the early 1850s. After three years on the Ballarat goldfields, he selected land on the banks of the Hopkins River at Ellerslie. He was one of the founding members, and chairman for eight years of the Framlingham and Ellerslie Cheese and Buttery Factory. Phillip was also president of the Shire of Mortlake for two years. Only months before his death, one of Phillip’s sons was killed in France.

Mrs HARDINGHAM – Died January 3, 1919, Horsham. Mrs HARDINGHAM was born in Norwich, England around 1831 and travelled to Australia with her husband, Mathias HARDINGHAM in the mid 1850s. From Geelong they travelled to the Horsham area and were two of the first pioneers in that district. Mathias ran the Horsham Hotel for some time.

Mrs Christine SANDERS – Died January 8, 1921, Vectis. Christine SANDERS was born in Yorkshire, England around 1835. As a teenager, she travelled to South Australia with her parents. She married Robert SANDERS who had also travelled with his parents on the same immigrant ship.

John W. DAVIS – Died January 24, 1928, Horsham. John or “Jack” as he was known, arrived in Australia as a three old, living in Williamstown and then Stawell. He played with the Temperance Union Band in Stawell and then moved to Horsham in 1877 to play with one of two brass bands in the town. Known throughout the northwest for his ability as an euphonium player, Jack was also a bandmaster at Natimuk and Noradjuha.

Rebecca KITTSON – Died January4, 1929, Portland. What a grand old pioneer Rebecca KITTSON was. A colonist of 88 years, she was a month from her 102nd birthday. Arriving in Melbourne from Ireland aged 11, she spent the next year in Melbourne, before joining her family at Cape Bridgewater where her father James Kittson had settled. She married Reverend William LIGHTBODY, a Wesleyan minister in 1852. This obituary is a “must read”. Mrs LIGHTBODY, as she was known for most of her life, was the last surviving member of her family and the obituary gives a glimpse at how the KITTSON’S came to be in Australia.

Adrian ANDERSON – Died January 16, 1932, Horsham. This is a first for Passing of the Pioneers. Adrian ANDERSON was an immigrant from the United States. Wisconsin to be precise. He arrived aged four, with his parents and resided in Western Australia until he was 10. The family moved to Victoria, where he remained. He ran a shop in Jeparit before his death in the Horsham Base Hospital.

Agnes Sarah COOK- Died January 18, 1942, Casterton. This obituary begins “Born in a small house on the banks of the Glenelg River at Casterton 79 years ago…”. Agnes was a lady that like the past and the future, knowledgeable about the history of Casterton, she also liked to predict the future. Agnes married Robert SYLVESTER and they had four children.

Helen GULL – Died January 18, 1942, Casterton. Helen was born on the ship “Helen” during her parents’ voyage to Australia in 1852. The GULL family became respected pioneers throughout the Western District. Helen married Frederick PERRY in 1876 and they resided at well known Western District properties, Rifle Downs at Digby and Runnymeade at Sandford. Frederick later ran the Digby Hotel.

4 responses to “Passing of the Pioneers”

Thanks so much for posting the entertaining obituary of Rebecca Kittson. Rebecca was my Great, Great, Great Grandmother and I am absolutely thrilled to be able to learn a little bit about her life. I am particularly impressed by her 200km ride on horseback to be married!

Great to hear from you Zoe. Rebecca Kittson is one of my favourite pioneers and probably my favourite female pioneer and I’m not even related to her. She was wonderful. I’m always on the look out for more on her, so I may post more in the future. Merron

Merron I have recently taken up the ancestry.com site’s two week free membership and I think I am hooked! I am also your newest follower and fan! No prizes for guessing my heritage – I am lucky enough to be related directly to Richard and Rachel Hedditch. I suspect our paths are crossed multiple times and in multiple ways… I was born in Portland, grew up in Ballarat, and and am a very proud grand-daughter of Mabel Emily Hedditch – and all the other fabulous pioneering women and men of Bridgewater… I have learnt so much just from wandering about your blog – thankyou!!! Corinne… :-)

Thank you so much Corinne. I’m glad you have found some information on the Hedditchs. While I’m not related to them, I find their pioneering stories most interesting and they have a rich history in the South West. You have every reason to be proud of your family. Once you get yourself onto Ancestry there is no stopping…enjoy :) Merron